Universal Robots Integration

Creating Universal Robots Programming for Industrial Manufacturers

Industry demand for integrating universal robots programming into their production processes is growing every day. Manufacturers are challenged with balancing the upfront investment costs of collaborative robots (cobots), as well as the ancillary controls and programming costs to support their operation, with the long-term benefits gained in efficiency and through-put.

The Challenge

A custom manufacturer of tubing and coil for fluid transfer applications wanted to automate multiple work cells for each of their various product lines. They were faced with having to purchase, install, program, and maintain multiple cobots – a sizable investment. They approached iAutomation looking for an experienced cobot system integrator and reliable outsource partner who was easy to work with.

The iAutomation Solution

Integrating Universal Robots with Custom Programming

• iAutomation designed the UR mobile junction boxes to be mounted in every work cell with a 40-conductor cable and industrial connector.
• All sensors/outputs are wired from each individual work cell to the junction box.
• iAutomation designed and wired an industrial interface that was added onto the universal robots’ controller and wired for all the cobots digital inputs and outputs.
• Developing a recipe program for each work cell makes it very easy to move the universal robot from one cell to another by just plugging into the industrial connector. The cobot automatically senses and selects the designated program for that particular cell’s operation based on the interface we designed.
• Our client minimized their need to purchase, install, program, and maintain multiple cobots by installing I/O junction boxes and cables at each work cell. The cobots they purchased can now be easily moved from one work cell to another, and be operational in a matter of minutes.